When I first left Austria for the Quad Cities to intern with Media Link, I did not expect to become a member of the community so quickly. From the first day on, I had the feeling that I was a full member of the Media Link family.
Over the past five months, I learned more about the field of marketing than I could have ever expected from an internship. Although a little scary at first, I enjoyed handling my own big projects to work on. Everyone at Media Link pushed me to advance my knowledge, and with every project, I grew. I still remember my third day of work, when Natalie and Ronna asked me to accompany them to a marketing analysis with a new client. I was quite nervous and I have to admit, I was a little “scared”. I asked myself: “What if I do or say something wrong?” In the past five months, everyone at Media Link has helped me to grow into a young marketing professional and now I feel confident and I enjoy working with new clients. I feel, being given the opportunity to get hands-on-experience in different fields of marketing is what makes Media Link an outstanding company for internships.
Media Link’s team has always made sure I get to know the QC community. I was invited to join Media Link’s team at charity and networking events. By doing so, I was introduced to different community groups and local professionals, and I went to my first trivia event. Even though I had trouble coming up with answers about American TV shows, I truly enjoyed raising funds for local Non-Profits together with my co-workers. I was amazed by the strong bond among Media Link’s team members. The people working for Media Link are not simply co-workers, they are all friends, and I am truly grateful for being welcomed with open arms to this amazing crew.
Natalie’s commitment to the community and her political engagement has always amazed me. Sometimes I feel Natalie’s day has 48 hours because a “normal” person would not fit everything she does into 24. She has showed me what a single person can achieve as long as you put your heart into it. Over the past months, she has always made sure to take the time to give me professional as well as personal advice and support. I am sure I am not the only one who says that Natalie is a role model and a great mentor.
When asked about the best part of my internship, I always have trouble deciding between two things. The first part I love is that the Media Link team is like a family and that I was welcomed as a full member right from the beginning. The second part is that I get hands-on-experience in different areas from: invoicing, to social media, prospecting, to PR. The trust I was given to work on these projects has always made me feel appreciated. Having a supervisor like Ronna, who pushes me to constantly advance my knowledge, is what makes my internship experience special. Ronna pushes her interns to improve their skills to perfection and takes every opportunity to introduce her interns to new areas of marketing. Over the past five months she has not only been an exceptional supervisor, but she has also become a great friend.
I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given at Media Link. Going back to Austria, I am sure I have learned more than some of my classmates who have interned at large corporations. I would refer Media Link as a place to do an internship to anyone who is eager to learn, and who is not afraid to step outside his or her comfort zone. The hard work pays off and I can guarantee that interning for Media Link will be a huge step in your career path.
